


Treat Me Gently

by Leswell



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, M/M, Phan Fluff, Phan Smut, Poor/Rich, Student!Dan/CEO!Phil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:20:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6918022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leswell/pseuds/Leswell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An university student who's mastering as a pianist, Dan Howell, is  out of the money to pay his next semester's tuition and there is Phil Lester, a CEO of famous company, who offers Dan 'special job'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Is Not What I Planned

**Author's Note:**

> Hi.  
> So my name is [Sinna]. Nice to meet you.  
> This is the author note, i guess and will be including warnings, schedule of update and furthermore dedications.  
> If you are looking for BDSM, sugar daddy and other kinky stuffs that are just like in Fifty Shades of Grey (i promise my story's not FSOG), this is not the story for you.  
> enjoy

London's cold breeze swept across Dan Howell's rosy cheeks in such a manner that wasn't making his day any less horrible. The wind sent Dan's hair fluttering, strands caught in the sunlight, that miserably failed at warming the weather. He nudged into his scarf, shoving his hands into the pockets as far as possible.

It was middle of holiday break from university in November and Dan was supposed to be at his parents' home in Berkshire, peacefully surrounded by his loved ones for a while. However, he stayed this last year of his university life in London to work hard and make next semester's tuition, somehow surviving on low a budget. That was Dan's plan until he got fired from his work at the store a week ago because of little panic alarm incident.

He signed, his breath fogging up front of him. Dan needed to find another job as soon as possible, as his flat rent will be due at the end of the month and either does his university tuition. Life was hard, no doubt. his friends and family were trying their best to support Dan, but wasn't making any difference.

He was missing home, especially the pie his mother baked or maybe it was just because Dan hadn't his breakfast.

By the time Dan entered the coffee shop where he had planned to meet his friend, his stomach was practically grumbling from hunger. Howell looked around the tables and spotted PJ Liguori gesturing him to come over.

"Dan, how good are you at cooking?" Pj finally asked after ripping his eyes off the screen of laptop when Dan sat down. "There is a good job with nice salary, but with high requirements." He pushed untouched plate of sandwiches towards Dan, who muttered 'thank you' back.

The boys have been searching a job for Dan, met several times on holiday breaks to discuss them and so far all they've got were multiple rejections and refusals.

"On scale of fancy meal to my last night's over fried egg, I'm egg, Peej" Dan said as he took a bite from the sandwich. It tasted heavenly, after hours spent walking around with an empty stomach. Pj pushed his lips into a thin line, fingers drumming on table.

"What about doing street performances?"

The things Dan could do best were acting and playing on his old piano. But these were never enough for street performances. Plus they did't pay enough, too. "Do you really want to see me as a mime in a beret that much?"

"That would be hilarious." Unlike Dan, PJ was an art student and he's able to at least sell his works if he needed money.

Dan could play at crowded places but all he had was the old heavy upright piano. Moving it would be more or less like Bruno Mars' 'Grenade' and his classmates weren't that nice to lend Dan their portable keyboard one.

"If only there was a place to hire you as pianist." PJ said under his breath.

It was clear as day, Dan was broke,not talented enough and too unlucky to get financial aid or loan from anywhere. And job? Another unwanted responsibility.

Dan furiously took another bite from his sandwich, then sighed heavily. He wasn't sure how to pay the rest of his university tuition. This would kettle away Dan's sleep and hours. Sometimes he procrastinates from his problems by surfing on the internet, sometimes Dan faces these nasty thoughts that would drive him to the point of crying:whether he ever gonna get his master's degree or waste his money on a hopeless dream.

The heavy thud on the table rattled the wares violently that it made Dan snap out of his thoughts, as well as brought them weird looks from the people sitting nearby. PJ didn't seem to give a fuck about them. "I have brilliant idea!" Dan saw a dangerous mad glint in his friend's eyes.

"W-what is it?"

"Do you know the Howlter Press? which published that Long Live the Assassin book and --,"

"Duh? Who doesn't?" Dan rolled his eyes, but then stopped in mid-action, because sassing at the person who's trying to help considered to be rude. He coughed into his fist to mask it.

"What about it?"

Pj laid back into his chair with a wide satisfied grin, rubbing his palms together. "Its chairman is a guy named Philip Lester and my mum knows him." he said, "I think we found the best job for you, Dan" Pj paused, giving time to let what he said sink in. Dan, on the other hand, looked confused as hell.

"Wha--, How Mrs. Liguori came to know the CEO of a company? I mean, why would he give me a job?"

"According to my dear mother, she once helped Lester through his hard times and he thinks he owns my mom or something. But the thing is that Lester loves music." PJ pointed at Dan, "And you, Danny boy, are the most suitable person for that!"

"Peej, I don't—"

"No, Dan. This will definitely work! I will tell mom about you and she will contact Mr. Lester then wolah! you will have a decent job. Oh, she would love to help you out!" PJ clapped his hands together, eyes shining with excitement.

Dan pondered about this for a while. He wasn't sure if the Lester guy would actually agree to employ Dan, even so, would he get enough salary to pay his tuition? On the other hand, this might be Dan's last card to save his sorry ass life so all things were Now or Never.

A slow smile appeared on Dan's face, "PJ, I-- , thank you. Really. You're the best. Where I would be without you."

—«»—«»—«»—

Dan got out of the cab, after he paid with his lunch money just to get to the important appointment on time. Howell chose to wear the smartest cloths he owned – black jeans with a button down white shirt – Dan spent almost an hour straightening his hair to look like a hirable person.

Howlter Press was a huge place. Marble flooring shone under the lighting, shoes squeaking upon the clean stones. A nice looking woman sat behind the desk, that had a big logo of the company above it.

"Good afternoon, how can i help you?"

"Hello, my name's Dan Howell and i have an appointment with Mr. Lester." He said, sounding unsure.

"Oh. Let me check for that." After few seconds of typing on her computer, receptionist looked back at Dan with big smile. "Yes, you do have appointment. Please, get to 4th floor by the lift at the end of this wing," she pointed to her left, "then turn right and you will be able to recognize our CEO's office."

"Thank you, um-" Dan looked at the name plate on desk, "Marzia."

So then Dan got in the lift which had hysterical music and the mirror to look at own reflection. Howell patted down some stray hairstrand and fixed his brown fringe. Dan was nervous, of course, drumming his fingers on his thigh with random anxious rhythms, he tried to calm himself by thinking it was just an another job interview. Once the lift's door opened with a ding, Dan rushed out of it so fast that he almost run into a woman, missing her by few inches.

"Mr. Howell?" The woman asked. She had sleek black hair and cat eye glasses which made her look like a sexy secretary from the movies. Dan who was about to apologize, was taken aback little bit, nodded his head in reply.

Her eyes shone behind her glasses, "Please, this way." Without any other words, the woman spun around on her heels, marched off so fast that if Dan's legs weren't long, he would have struggled to keep up with her.

"I must say we are happy to have you today. My name is Ysmay Moriarty and i'm the assistant of Mr. Lester."

So she _is_ literal the sexy secretary. Somewhere in Dan's head, he thought about ridiculous idea of The Lester guy having an affair with his assistant. But as quickly as it came, it vanished from Dan's thoughts.

Ysmay led him through the wide corridor with elegant doors and bookshelves stocked the walls. Dan couldn't catch them all, but there were framed posters of bestseller books that Dan recognized, well, half of them.

"Mr. Lester will see you right now, so," Ysmay stopped at heavy looking wooden door, knocked twice and then opened it for Dan to enter. "Go on."

Suddenly, meeting Philip Lester seemed like a bad idea. Bad as in if he's forced to walk into the dark without a wall to secure his back. But when Ysmay rose an eyebrow at him, still holding the door open, Dan shoved these feelings into the back of his brain to have a gut to stomp through the door, then he heard it shut gently behind him.

First thing Dan noticed as he walked into Mr. Lester's office was the piano. Room was lit by wide floor-to-ceiling windows, twice bigger than Dan's entire flat and, _for the love god above_ , the big ass grand piano was put there nicely both to shine under sunlight and to kill Dan's inside.

Just a swift look of millionaire's office made him want to retreat to the corner and think about his whole fucking life in pity.

 _Who the heck does even have grand piano in their office room?_ Apparently, Philip Lester does.

Finally, Dan's eyes landed on the owner of the Press.

Philip Lester was a very young man, maybe 3 or 4 years – he assumed - older than Dan, pale skinned, with fine combed dark hair. "Howell" Mr. Lester acknowledged Dan, as he unfolded his intervened fingers before him and stood up from his over comfortable looking armchair.

Dan said something between _hello_ and _nice to meet you_ with a small voice.

"I've been expecting you. Please sit down." Lester motioned towards the area of coaches and a coffee table and then he approached the side table that held glassware.

Dan walked to the lounge and awkwardly sat on the one of sofa.

"What would you like to drink?" Phil asked.

'A cup of coffee would be fantastic', Howell wanted to say, but because of his modesty, Dan said that he just wanted a glass of water.

"How is your day today, Dan? If it is okay to call you that." Lester said as he put a glass of water on coffee table and sat across to Dan.

"Oh, it's fine. Um, my day is fine too, I guess." Dan replied with a small nod.

The thing about Philip Lester was that he had the most intense blue eyes Dan had ever encountered in his life, they were making him fell even more anxious and made him want to leave this room immediately.

"Good." Phil laid back to his coach and took a sip from his drink in hand. "How is your university?"

"Ugh, that's --, that's a sensitive topic." Dan quickly gulped his water to calm his nerves.

"Yeah, I heard from Mrs Liguori. But don't worry I'm here to help you, don't I?" Philip said with assuring bright smile that left Dan speechless, so he only nodded hesitantly. "You study in master of piano performance?"

"Yeah. Also in theatrical performance."

"You act, too, eh?" Phil's left edge of the lips curved up, his blue eyes locked with Dan's chocolate brown ones. Dan just stared back, "Care to play a tune?" Phil gestured forward the Grand Piano behind Dan, "I love music."

Dan stood up from sofa and went to the grand piano across the room. Philip Lester's gaze followed him as he sat down, icy blue eyes running all over younger boy's body.

This is what has Dan learned for all his university years and he cannot fuck this up. So he was determined to play his best song that fit for the mood. He slowly opened the fall board, feeling smooth surface underneath his fingers.

Piano tiles were amazing to tap, tone is perfectly harmonious. At the next moment, Dan's play filled up the silence that hung between them like the echo of unspoken words and Phil was plainly assimilating it.

Fingers running tile to tile, Phil wasn't missing any of Dan's movement, his focused face nor the underwear that's sticking out little bit between his jeans and the hem of shirt. He quietly chuckled to himself.

The song ended. He smiled a little bit when Dan looked at him hesitantly, waited for further instruction. Then a second song carried on, followed with third. Dan didn't know when to stop playing till Phil Lester opened his mouth.

"I would love to hear you play for me even more in future, Dan." Joy shot through Dan's heart. Did he just get a job? By just playing piano? Thank the gods above, now he can make it through rest of semester, pay his debts and rent, at least, food to _eat_.

Just before Dan was about thank or maybe even bow to the CEO of Press and tell how grateful he is, Phil cut him off. "But I'm afraid that I can't pay you that much to affect your university tuition only by that." Hope died a little in Dan's eyes.

Philip finished his drink with a flick of his wrist and placed the glass on the table. "However, I can finance you under – let's say - _an additional special condition._ "

Dan bluntly said the first thing that had popped out in his head without thinking about it for second time.

"Prostitution"

Dan and Phil both physically winced at the word. The atmosphere of the room suddenly felt like it weighted a ton, it was scarier that in fact Dan waited Phil Lester to deny what he just said with, ' _No, I just want you to clean my flat once in a while_ '.

Yet, Phil didn't say anything.

_Fuck._

Panic bubbled in Dan's chest. His eyes quickly flickered between the door, which was all the way across the room and Philip Lester, who was solemnly studying his reaction. Dan was going to die. His mom was right, never judge people by their appearance and _holy shit,_ Phil Fucking Lester was a damn pervert.

Phil slowly stood up from the sofa and readjusted his suit jacket. At that moment, the barrage of scream stuck in Dan's throat, so he sat on chair of piano motionless as if he was nailed there when all he wanted to do was get the shit out of this damn fancy office with the fine piano of the perverted millionaire.

Mr. Lester walked to his work table and pulled one of the drawers to get something. A Little rectangular piece of paper.

Dan's breath hitched, heart speed rapidly growing, adrenalin rushed through his veins at the sight of Phil Lester approaching him slowly, like a predator hunting his prey.

"Don't be scared. I'm not gonna do anything to you now." Phil said in a low tone, eyes not even drifting from younger boy's brown eyes. He stopped not far away from Dan and then placed what seemed to be a business card – on the piano. Dan didn't do anything but stare back at Phil.

"But I want you to reconsider my request for some time and make up your mind, if you still want to get your master's degree, Mr. Howell."

—«»—«»—«»—


	2. Straight As A Pole

Once Philip Lester was left alone in his office, he sunk into his armchair and let out the heavy sign.

Hands undone the top button of his shirt out of the reflex, and Phil rubbed his palms on his face, trying to clear his mind.

Now, _what have he just done?_

He didn't even know why he asked Dan Howell such thing.

" _Prostitution_." This word ringed in Phil's head like a damn church bell.

Oh, god. Was he drunk? Probably. Was he out of mind? Absolutely.

Phil's head was intoxicated by alcohols he drank in middle of a day. They all were for purpose of relax himself, however the effects totally had took wrong turn, apparently.

There was a knock on Phil's office door, snapping him out of thoughts, and his assistant Ysmay entered the room with expression of confusion.

"Phil, are you okay? What happened and why did Howell leave looking like a deer caught in the headlight? I thought you were kinda like old buddies?"

"Too many questions, Ysmay. I don't know. And i just knew him in the past, nothing more." Phil said, still running his hands over his head as if he's trying to relieve the migraine.

They have been known each other for years that Ysmay immediately knew something was off, but she just stood by the table and didn't pushed Phil more. "Do you want water and painkiller?"

"Just water please."

"What about the recruitment?" she asked as she put a glass of water front of her boss.

Phil looked Ysmay in the eye for the first time since she stepped through door.  
"I-," he lowered his eyes back, considering his words and took a deep breath then exhaled. "He said he will consider about it." He muttered and Phil Lester drunk his glass of water once at all.

—«»—«»—«»—

This was literal Fifty Shades of Gray shit.

Honestly, Dan Howell did not imagined the things he had been hoping and dreaming would turn 180 degrees and crash to wall, in a few seconds.

Dan trampled around his flat, in such anger that surprisingly his landlord still hadn't banged on Dan's door to quiet down. It has been hours since he had seen Phil, however all Dan was thinking about was that perverted millionaire.

"I swear to god, i did see a mad glint in his eyes, being all weird blue and _Jesus_ \-- what the shitting fuck i'm involved into" Dan has been talking to himself while skipping one corner to one restlessly, which is pretty weird in many way, but the normality already had thrown out of the window of Howlter Press earlier of a day.

Philip Lester was a guy who asked another guy to have sex with him for money. Dan wasn't even gay, in fact he was straight as a pole and he knew that he would never be satisfied by men as much as he does with women.

He stood in his little kitchen, hands on the counter tops and a paper with 'Philip M. Lester' before Dan. He stared at it as if the contact card was a bomb that could blow off anytime soon and kill Dan for goodness' sake.

Howell tried to throw it out for many times, but when he held contact card above the trash can with trembling hand, Dan could not dare to drop it.

What Lester suggested was awfully horrible and unbelievable thing, however on the other hand, Dan still was unemployed and broke. What he gonna do now?

" _But I want you to reconsider my request for some time and make up your mind, if you still want to get your master's degree, Mr. Howell."_

"Jesus on tricycle." Dan swore as he sunk down to the floor, suddenly knees felt weak because of the embarrassment. He repeatedly bumped his head onto the lower cupboard to make his brain work and forget about the echo of voice.

Dan let out a irritated groan by the thoughts of choices that are left.

First choice: burn the contact card of Lester, give a fucking good kick in Pj's shin and forget what all happened today. Dan will carry out his life without corrupt usage of own body for financial gain, probably try to find other not-promising job.

Second choice: Dan accept the job Lester requested, get decent payment for his tuition in return of selling his body for god-knows time long, which can be real nasty stuff according to Fifty Shades of Grey.

Both ways seemed like the precipice of annihilation to Dan. He could say this moment was _fuck-it-point_ , where nothing mattered anymore, fuck everything and go get a drink or something. But he was in his kitchen, stressing over limited choices Fate granted in the life.

Either way, it was certain Dan will lose important things.

But which was Daniel cared the most : his dignity or the university?

He suddenly jumped on his feet, almost lost his balance in process, Dan grabbed the contact card and entered collective numbers upon it onto his phone.

Clock on the wall chimed to 11pm, as brunet boy held his breath, as Dan was might be doing a regrettable choice, as Dan Howell silently prayed that person who's he dialing will miss his call and cease the stupidity he's willing to make right now, and _oh god_ -

"Hello, this is Phil Lester." Dan immediately wanted to throw his phone across the room or hide under his bed and never interact with mankind ever again, or do both at same time. His mouth felt like incapable of forming words in the sudden rush of panic, so Dan just speechlessly clinched his phone to an ear.

Other end of line went silent, Phil waiting him to answer. Not saying other words, he just waited Dan to say something as if he knew who was calling.

After struggling to calm the ponding in his chest for a few more seconds, he sucked in harsh breath.

"It's Dan Howell."

—«»—«»—«»—

 

**Author's Note:**

> Three songs Dan played on paino are:  
> 1\. Oceans by Rob Costlow  
> 2\. Megalovania, music of Undertale  
> 3\. My dearest, piano version of Guilty Crown's theme song


End file.
